Packers vs. Rams Key Takeaways
At Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, the Packers faced the Rams in an exciting afternoon matchup that kept fans on the edge of their seats. The Rams, coming off a tough loss to the Bears, needed to bounce back and keep their season alive. Love has been 0-2 in his last two starts and needed a better performance after his three-interception game against the Vikings. The Rams were significantly injured, and the Pack had some injuries, too, which made it a somewhat even matchup.
The game got off to a scorching start. Jordan Love connected with Jayden Reed for a seventy-yard pass to get the Packers to the Ram's one-yard line. Then, it finally happened. Josh Jacobs earned his first touchdown as a Packer and helped get the monkey off his back. The Packers early and often decided to run the ball down the throats of the Rams, who are near the bottom in rush defense. The Packers’ defense held solid for the first quarter, but the Rams finally got on the board with a costly Jordan Love error. The Packers were backed up to their one-yard line and Love avoided a sack but threw it to a Rams defender, who returned it for a touchdown. The interception was Love's first pick-six in 761 career passes. The Packers went three and out, and the Rams marched down the field to score a Kyren Williams rushing touchdown. The Packers then marched down the field before the first half ended, giving Brayden Narveson a chance to make a field goal and get the Packers within three. Surprisingly, Narvseon scored the field goal and gave the Packers some momentum going into the locker room.
When the teams returned from halftime, it was clear that one team came out more pumped than the other. The Packers immediately marched down the field, and Love connected with tight end Tucker Kraft for a sixty-six-yard touchdown. Kraft has stepped up and become a great blocking and receiving tight end, which the Packers last had a long time ago. Love re-connected with Kraft for his second touchdown and first career multi-touchdown game later in the game. These are much more comfortable and confident in Kraft over Luke Musgrave. It is a shame because Musgrave is also highly talented, but it is clear that Kraft has the toolset the Packers are looking for.
The Pack were without Jaire Alexander and still had a great defensive game. Xavier McKinney got his fifth interception in five games and is cementing himself as a superstar on the Packers and an excellent free-agent pickup. The Packers cornerbacks and pass rush stepped up this week and made Matthew Stafford uncomfortable. If the pass rush keeps improving and Jaire returns, the Pack could string many wins together. Moving forward, one concern is how the situation with Romeo Doubs will be resolved after he got suspended for a game for skipping practice. I do not understand his frustration when he is a top target for Love and an excellent receiver in this deep receiving core. Another concern is Dontayvion Wicks' drops. Wicks has dropped multiple passes in the last two weeks and stalled drives for the Packers. He has all the talent with great route running, can get separation, and is extremely tough. I hope he can improve on his struggles, and he reminds me of Davante Adams in his early career, especially with how well he runs his routes. The Packers got an excellent win today, and this team can keep moving in the right direction and string some wins together.
